Well packer



Jan. 1936. c, R E E 2,026,883

WELL PAC KER Filed March 9, 1935 ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 7, 1936 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE WELL PACKER- Application March 9, 1935, Serial No.10,225

6 Claims.

The invention relates to well packers of the type adapted to be expandedto seal between an inner pipe and an outer pipe or the wall of a wellbore.

It is an object of the invention to provide a packer which may besupported in a well and expanded and contracted by manipulation of anupwardly extending pipe.

It is another object of the invention to provide a packer in which arubber sleeve is interiorly supported by overlapping metal strips whichare adapted to continuously reenforce the sleeve as it is expanded.

It is an object to provide a well packer adapted to be expandedmechanically and in which most of the parts operate in an oil bath.

It is an object to provide a packer having a reenforced rubber sleeveadapted to be expanded by a tapered mandrel engaging within wedgeblocks.

It is an object to provide a packer for wells in which the operatingpipe may be' rotated while the packer remains set.

It is a further object to provide fins or vanes on a device to be usedin an open hole, so that increased resistance to rotation maybeindicative of caving of the well bore.

It is still another object to provide a packer sleeve expandercomprising a plurality of radially slidable wedge blocks, and a mandrelto engage within the wedge blocks to expand them.

It is also an object to provide a segmental band around the wedge blocksso that gaps between them will be bridged.

It isanother object of the invention to provide a novel clamp forsecuring the ends of resilient tubes, sleeves, hose, etc.

It is another object to provide a packer which is adapted to. be set andreleased and wherein the rubber sleeve, spring members, external fluidpressure, the weight or" the mud above and the weight of the lowerportion of the packenall tend to contract or collapse the packer whenits release is attempted.

It is also an object to provide a packer having a yieldable sleevereenforced by overlapping spring members, and which is expanded by theaction of a tapered threaded mandrel being screwed within a plurality ofspecial radially movable wedge blocks.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent to one skilledin the art when the following description is read in connection with theaccompanying drawing, wherein;

Fig. 1 is a partially sectional view of one form of packer embodyingfeatures of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional View taken along the plane 2--2 of Fig.1.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the expander assembly. Fig. a is a partiallysectional view showing a slightly different form of construction of theimproved packer.

. Fig. 5 is a broken perspective view of a portion of one of thereenforcing strips.

The packer indicated generally at 1 in Fig. l, 5

comprises an upper head 9 and a. lower head 9, these heads being joinedby a sleeve H of rubber or other suitable material. The sleeve II isinteriorly reenforced by a plurality of resilient members l2, which maybe of spring steel or any 10 material of the necessary properties. Thespring members are socketed in the heads 8 and 9 at the points I3 andare secured therein by the cap screws M.

The rubber sleeve is attached to the two heads 5 and is here shown asbeing bound by the wire 16 to the head 9 and held by a special clamp tothe upperhead 8. The special clamp comprises a plurality of segmentalpieces I! adapted to engage the end portion of the sleeve l I and having20 tongues which fit in the annular groove 3 of the head or body 8. Theclamp ring I9 is threaded to the head 8 at 2| and is tapered at 22 sothat, as it is screwed upon the threads 2|, the taper engages thesegments l9 and moves them radi- 25 ally inwardly to clamp the end ofthe sleeve securely to the head 8. The type of clamping arrangementemployed in the construction of the packer may be varied withoutaltering the operation of the packer. 30

The head 9 is threaded at 23 to receive the pipe 24 which may terminatein any desired fitting, and is usually arranged to engage the bottom ofthe well bore to form a support for the packer. Both of the heads 8 and9 are cen- 35 trally aperturedto receive the actuating pipe 26 and maybe provided with suitable stufling boxes or seals 21 to close about thepipe. In the Fig. 1 form of the invention the pipe 26 is rotatablewithin the heads and has a certain longitudinal freedom therein.The-pipes 24 and 26. may be attached to a well tester or formationtester not shown and this use is within the contemplation of theinvention.

A support ring 28 is fixed to and above the head 9 and within thereenforced expansion sleeve forming the packer. The ring is bored topass the pipe 26 and is of such outside diameter as to fit within thereenforcing members when the packer is collapsed. Radial dovetail slots29 are formed in the upper face of the ring 28 and are adapted toslidably receive the tenons 3| on the lower end of the wedge blocks 32.These blocks are segments of a ring which is shaped to fit within thereenforced packer sleeve and the .assembled ring thus formed has anupwardly flaring recess 33 provided therein.

A tapered mandrel 34 is rotatably mounted on the pipe 26 and is heldagainst longitudinal movement therealong by the collars 3B. The taperedexterior of this mandrel fits within the recess 33 and it will be seenthat .a downward movement of the pipe 26 and mandrel 34 will expand thewedge blocks radially, thus forcing the strips l2 and sleeve l loutwardly to contact a surrounding wall and seal against it.

The expander blocks are provided with peripheral grooves 31 into whichare fitted the spring members 38 which are short segments of a ring andare attached to alternate blocks by pins 39 and overlap the intermediateblocks so that as the blocks expand radially along the dovetail slots 29the widening gap between them will be bridged by these members 38. Thisconstruction is best seen in Fig. 3.

Collars 4| and 42 formed on the pipe 26 are adapted to engage the heads8 and 9, respectively, to limit the movement of the pipe 26 through thepacker. An oil hole 43 having a plug 44 is provided through which theinterior of the packer may be filled with a lubricant, so that all ofthe Working parts operate in an oil bath.

A plurality of fins or vanes 46, spaced above the top head 8, areprovided upon the pipe 26 so that when said pipe 26 is being rotated anycaving formation will engage the vanes and increase the resistance torotation and serve as a warning signal to the operator.

Fig. 5 shows a. perspective view of a section of one form of reenforcingstrips which may be substituted for strips I2. The inner face 41 and theouter face 48 are concentrically curved to conform to the circularposition which they occupy (see Fig. 2). The sides of these strips arebeveled as at 49 and 50 so that these surfaces of adjacent strips fittogether. The engaging faces 49 and 50 of adjacent strips remain incontact as the blocks 32 move radially and expand the packer, thusmaintaining a continuous support for the packing sleeve.

The construction of Fig. 1 is particularly advantageous when it isdesired to pack off for only a short period and then release and removethe device. The packer is lowered into the hole on the pipe 26 until thestand pipe 24 engages a support. Further downward movement of the pipe26 operates the interior expander mechanism and forces the sleeve andstrips outwardly. As the pipe 26 moves down the head 8 is free to movedown to provide the slack required for the expansion of the sleeve andstrips.

To release the packer it is only necessary to lift the pipe 26, thuswithdrawing the mandrel 34.

The packer structure will then be supported on the collar 41 under thehead 8 and the entire weight will tend to straighten the sleeve andstrips. Furthermore the pressure on the outside and the reduced pressureon the inside give a differential pressure acting to collapse thedevice.

Fig. 4 shows a second embodiment of the invention in which a threadedtapered mandrel 53 fixed on the pipe 26 is adapted to be screwed betweenthe wedge blocks 54. This type of construction is especially intendedfor use in making more permanent installations and for use inside otherpipes where only a small expansion is needed.

What is claimed is:

1. A packer for wells including a lower head, a connection to supportsaid head, an upper head spaced from said lower head, an actuating pipepassing through said heads, packing to seal between said heads and anouter pipe, a tapered mandrel carried by said actuating pipe andposiblocks supported on said lower head and adapted to be engaged bysaid mandrel to be expanded by downward movement thereof, a groove inthe periphery of said wedge blocks, spring members within said grooveand attached to some of said 5 blocks, said spring members extending toadjacent blocks and adapted to bridge the gap between said blocks asthey are expanded, a plurality of spring strips extending longitudinallyof said packer and anchored at their ends to said 10 heads, overlappingbevelled edges on said spring strips adapted to maintain contact as theyare expanded by said wedge blocks, and a rubber sleeve surrounding saidspring strips and attached at either end to said heads. 7 V 15 2. Apacker for wells including a pair of spaced heads, a support for one ofsaid heads, an actuating pipe passing through both of said heads, atapered mandrel carried by said actuating pipe and rotatable thereon, aplurality of wedge blocks 20 positioned between said tapered mandrel andsaid supported head, means for supporting said blocks on said supportedhead whereby a downward movement of said actuating pipe and mandrel willexpand said blocks, a plurality of spring strips 25 connected at theirends to said heads and surrounding said blocks, and a substantiallycylindrical rubber sleeve about said strips, said sleeve being securedto said heads whereby a downward movement of said pipe and mandrel willexpand '30 said blocks, strips and sleeve, said strips being overlappedto maintain a continuous support for said sleeve as it is expanded.

3. In a packer for wells, a rubber sleeve, a plurality of axialreenforcing strips underlying said '35 sleeve, and means enclosed bysaid strips to expand said strips and sleeve, said strips beingoverlapping whereby a continuous support for said sleeve is maintainedas it is expanded.

4. In a packer for wells an actuating pipe, up- 4 per and lower headsthereon, a support for said lower head, a packing sleeve extendingbetween and attached to said heads, a plurality of metal reenforcingstrips extending longitudinally of said packer within said sleeve, saidstrips being 45 overlapped and connected at either end to said heads, anoperating pipe extending upwardly from said packer, and an expanderwithin said packer, actuated by said operating pipe to expand saidreenforcing strips and rubber sleeve to seal 50 against a surroundingwall, said overlapping strips being adapted to maintain a metal backingfor said sleeve as the packer is expanded.

5. A packer for wells including a longitudinally 1 extending pipe, asubstantially cylindrical pack- 55 ing sleeve associated therewith, aplurality of overlapping reenforcing strips extending longitudinally ofthe interior of said sleeve, means within said packer and actuated bysaid pipe to expand said packing sleeve, and means to secure 00 saidpacking sleeve and strips to said pipe.

6. A rubber tube clamp including a hollow body,

a threaded portion thereon, a clamp ring adapted to be screwed onto saidthreaded portion, an interiorly tapered portion in said ring, a plu- 55rality of segments positioned around said body and having taperedsurfaces to engage within the tapered portion of said ring, and means tosecure said segments against longitudinal movement along said bodywhereby the clamp ring may be 7 screwed along the body to contract thesegments to clamp the end of a tube placed between said body andsegments.

CHARLES P. GILLESPIE. I

